Want to use this time at home to put your handiness to the test? Before you reach for the power tools, check out this new series, in which we’re asking seasoned DIYers to share some easy-to-follow home-improvement tips you can implement at home. Here, couple Dean and Borja of @mytinyestate share their guide on how to create panelling at home – a once fusty wall cladding turned interior must-have.

Borja: We bought a derelict estate in Warwickshire in 2019 and are restoring it solely by ourselves. We are self-confessed extreme DIYers. Dean is an architect and runs his own practice during the week and as soon as he gets home he changes to his DIY clothes and gets going. I, Borja, am a surveyor and also run my own small practice during the week and, like Dean, become a builder in my spare time.

Restoring such a big house means we are always researching and experimenting how we can get a high-end finish without having to need a second mortgage for every project that we do. That, and given our backgrounds, means we do the work ourselves.

We get a lot of inspiration from the house and we have mastered how to make panelling, achieving incredible results, and wanted to share it with you:

How to create wood panelling at home

Materials

• 9mm MDF boards (as many as you require for your desired panelling)
• Nails for attaching the panels
• Wood battens for the frame
• Screws for fixing the frame to the wall
• 18mm MDF boards to use as top shelf or other type of wood
• Wood filler or Polyfilla
• Decorators Caulk

Tools

• Mask
• Goggles
• Tape Measure
• Pencil
• Screwdriver
• Power drill
• Circular saw
• Router
• Guide rail for router (optional)
• Sandpaper

1. The first thing that you need to do is fix some vertical wooden battens to the wall, as you will be fixing the MDF panels to those battens later. This is only for exterior walls, otherwise, you can just use No More Nails (glue) and the process is a lot faster.

You will want to use 25x38mm battens. They come in 2.4m-long pieces, so one piece goes a long way. We lay them out vertically on the wall with 40cm spacing, making sure they are the same height as the MDF panels, to get a fixing at the top and bottom. 

To attach the battens to the masonry wall, we place the batten in place and then drill a hole through the batten with a wooden drill bit until it marks the wall.

Once you know where the holes will be located, use a masonry drill bit to make a hole and insert a raw plug (we always use universal raw plugs, they are our favourites). Once you have the holes you just need to put the batten back in place and fix them in with screws into the wall plugs.

2. Let’s start with the panelling. With the tape, measure and mark with a pencil all the lines on the MDF panel where you will want to route. The more time you spend on this step, the better it will look. It’s a matter of personal preference, but we go for router lines 15.5cm apart. 

You will also have to decide on what router accessory you want for your design. There are an enormous amount of router ends which, depending on the one you use, will change the overall finish of the panelling. We wanted a gap that resembled a tongue and groove finish, so we chose the router end with a triangle shape.

3. Once you have marked the design on the MDF, the fun begins! Make sure that you wear a mask and goggles, and get routing (we invested in the guide rail as we wanted to make sure the lines were perfect).

4. When the panels are done, it’s time to place them on top of the wooden battens that you previously fixed on the wall.

With a pencil, mark lines on the MDF panels where the battens are located behind so it’s easier when attaching. There are two options when attaching the panelling: using a nail gun with a compressor or you can use wood screws to get a good and solid fixing.

If you are using glue, simply add the adhesive all over the back of the board and put it in place, holding until secure. The only drawback in that you won’t have space for a shallow shelf on top. 

5. To elevate the panelling to the next level, think about the finishing details. A beautiful skirting board and a top-shelf over the panelling will make it a lot more bespoke.

If the panelling only goes halfway up the wall, we love to finish it with a solid piece of 18mm MDF, laid horizontally and a shallow shelf on top. We believe those details are what makes the difference.

6. To finish everything off, fill all the holes with filler and fill the gaps with decorators’ caulk. Once dry, sand it all very well. Prime it all and paint it with the colour of your choice.